Wardship of Francis Phips, Northamptonshire, 1600

The British History Online website provides abstracts or transcriptions of records from the Cecil Papers, dated November 1600, pertaining to Sir Robert Cecil.

Among those records is one dated 27 November 1600. A petition to Cecil was presented by Henry Emylie of Henley upon thames. Emylie asked for the wardship of Francis Phips.

Francis Phips was described as a son of Thomas Phips, deceased, who had been a yeoman in Lycheborough in Northampton. The record abstract then follows with the somewhat cryptic comment, “for three years concealed and unjustly detained from the Queen.” Cecil said he would look into the matter.

An abstract of this same record appears in Calendar of Manuscripts of the Most. Hon. the Marquis of Salisbury, . . . Preserved at Hatfield House, Hertfordshire, Part 10 (London: Mackie & Co., 1904), p. 394. There it is abstracted as follows. The brackets appear in the printed source.

WARDSHIP.

1600, Nov. 27. – Petition of Henry Emylie, of Henley upon Thames to [Cecil]. Prays for the wardship of Francis Phips, son of Thomas Phips, late of Lycheborough, Northampton, yeoman; for three years concealed and unjustly detained from the Queen.

Note by Cecil: “When an office is found I will then consider further of it as he shall deserve.”

Endorsed: – “27 No., 1600.” 1 p.

Lycheborough is now, evidently referred to as Litchborough. This is a village and civil parish in South Northamptonshire.

Someone named Thomas Phipps, who was from Litchborough, wrote a will which is indexed as appearing on page 132 of Book W of Northamptonshire and Rutland wills. Book W covers the period 1590 and 1597-1602. The listing appears in W.P.W. Phillimore, ed., Calendar of Wills Relating to the Counties of Northampton and Rutland, Proved in the Court of the Archdeacon of Northampton, 1510 to 1652 (London: Chas. J. Clark, 1888).

This indicates that the Thomas Phipps who is indexed left a will dated sometime between 1590 and 1602. It would seem likely that this Thomas “Phipps” was the Thomas “Phips,” yeoman, who died sometime prior to 27 November 1600.